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Djokovic's father poses in Australia with Putin supporters

2023-01-26T12:51:06.629Z


Srdjan Djokovic was also captured in a video in which he wishes "long life to Russian citizens". The organization bans Russian and Belarusian flags after an incident in the first week of the tournament


News on and off the slopes, Novak Djokovic this time gives the spotlight to his father, Srdjan, who this Wednesday night was photographed with a group of pro-Russian supporters at the Melbourne Park facilities.

As reported by the Australian ABC, four men were expelled from the venue for waving Russian flags and chanting slogans in favor of the country led by Vladimir Putin, as well as the president.

The organization of the tournament prohibits the display of Russian and Belarusian flags, as well as certain symbols, after an incident occurred during the first week of the competition on one of the outdoor courts.

On this occasion, before the four expelled men left the facilities – around 10:20 p.m., as specified by the Victoria State Police in a statement – ​​Djokovic's father took a picture with them outside the Rod Laver Arena, after to witness the victory that gave access to the former number one to the semifinals of the

Australian

major .

One of the fans wore a T-shirt with the letter Z, a symbol adopted by supporters of the invasion of Ukraine;

specifically, the Russian forces use it as an identifying symbol on their vehicles for special missions.

More information

And now, who is stopping this Djokovic?

In a video posted by the user Aussie Cossack on YouTube, the athlete's father allegedly says

Zivjeli Russiyani

("long live Russian citizens") before leaving, according to newspapers such as

The Age

or

The Sydney Morning Herald

.

The man Srdjan Djokovic appears with wears a T-shirt with the logo of the Russian motorcycle gang The Night Wolves, and begins his video message by greeting the band's international president, Alexander Zaldostanov, from Melbourne.

He is considered a personal friend of Putin, who, along with the gang, was subject to sanctions by the European Union last year.

Before Djokovic took to the court, Simeon Boikov, director of the Aussie Cossack channel, called on the Australian Federation (Tennis Australia) to “hit back” after the ban on the Russian and Belarusian flag.

Boikov, precisely, has been accused of assaulting a 76-year-old man who was demonstrating in favor of Ukraine in Sydney.

According to media reports from the oceanic country, this week an arrest warrant was issued against him.

“Get ready…”

“Today Djokovic is playing against Rublev.

I hereby appeal to everyone to go there.

I can confirm that we have some surprises, ”he said through the aforementioned channel.

“Tennis Australia, get ready…for the fans, for the people who love tennis, if you know what I mean.

I have to say it like that or I'll be sued for incitement.

We have a lot of serious fans in Melbourne heading this way,” he continued in the message;

“It is an attack on honor and dignity.

This has nothing to do with war, this is an attack on freedom in Australia.

This is discrimination.

This is racism.

It is illegal to ban people's flags."

Srdjan Djokovic and Dijana Djokovic, parents of Novak Djokovic, at the Australian Open. DAVID GRAY (AFP)

The organization, which initially had not applied any rules in this regard, finally decided to do so after a group of fans denounced another who had hung flags during the first round match between the Ukrainian Kateryna Baindl and the Russian Kamilla Rakhimova in Track 14. In addition to banning the flag, it also banned the Z symbol.

The Z, Russia, Donetsk...

After this latest news was revealed, the organization of the Australian Open issued a statement stating that "a small group of people displayed inappropriate flags and symbols, and threatened security guards after a match played on Wednesday for the night [el Djokovic-Rublev], and they were evicted”.

Tennis Australia specifies that “players and their teams have been informed and have been reminded of the event's policy regarding flags and symbols, as well as to avoid any situation that could lead to disturbances.

We continue to work closely with event security and law enforcement."

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, tweeted about the incident.

“It's a complete package.

Among the Serbian flags there is also a Russian flag, Putin, the symbol of the Z, the so-called flag of the Donetsk People's Republic.

It's a shame...", denounced Myroshnychenko, who last week had already harshly criticized the incident that has unleashed the political dust in the tournament.

TO INVOKE THE QUEEN OF ENGLAND TO THE DART TO FEDERER

AC |

Melbourne

Megaphone in hand, the speech by Srdjan Djokovic and his wife Dijana at the gates of the Serbian Parliament went around the world a year ago.

Then, the 62-year-old father of the athlete denounced a witch hunt against his son, whom he described as "Spartacus" and "leader of a new free world."

The tennis player (35) was under arrest in Melbourne for trying to illegally enter Australia, and his relative asked the Queen of England to intervene and protect "human rights" in the face of "political persecution."

From Belgrade, his father affirmed that "we will fight for his freedom in the street" and assured that it was "a fight for the libertarian world."

He was referring to a "rich world" crusade so that Djokovic could no longer play tennis, who, according to him, "has shown that even a small country like Serbia can have the best tennis player and athlete of all time, and that truth ”, he remarked, “it can no longer be hidden”.

Later, Srdjan Djokovic stated that his son Novak is "a messenger from God, an invisible miracle."

Also, a "crucified Christ," a "sacrificed lamb."

Both are Orthodox Christians and the first is essential to understand the profile of the second.

“He is the biggest support I've had, especially at the beginning [of his elite career, which he began in 2003].

But obviously I can't influence what he says.

It is how he is, ”said the 21-big champion in his day;

He “he is very, very passionate.

He protects me and loves me.

I know that he does it all with the best and purest intentions.

The father, a professional skier and later an instructor, has always exalted his descendant and pointed him out as a symbol of victorious Serbia, a martyr for his nation.

From time to time, he has also shaken the great rivals of the tennis player. 

“He will be a great champion, but he is not such a good man,” he referred to Federer in May 2021, alleging that the Swiss, now retired, “attacked my son 15 years ago, when he was still young and 18 or 19. He did it because he knew someone was coming who would be better than him." Rafael Nadal, whom he pointed to in 2013, was not spared either: "He was Novak's best friend while he beat him, but when things changed, they weren't so friends anymore."

To these statements, collected by the Serbian newspaper

Kurir

in 2013, he added others in which he attacked Federer: “He attacked Novak in the Davis Cup in Geneva.

He understood that he was his successor and tried to discredit him in any way.

Novak's success is an extraordinary thing and something that some cannot understand."

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Source: elparis

All sports articles on 2023-01-26

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